Steam-engine



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

R. G. HARRIS.

- STEAM ENGINE.

v No. 349,275. Patented Sept. 14, '1886.

(No Model.) e 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. G. HARRIS.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 349,275. Petented Sept. 14, 1886.

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PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD G. HARRIS, OF BOONSBOROUGH, IO\VA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO WILLIAM FISHER, OF SAME PLACE, vAND LORAN \V. REYNOLDS, OF

BOONE, IONVA STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,275, dated September 14, 1886.

Application filed January 25, 1886. Serial No.159 649. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD G. HARRIS,

a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Boonsborough, in the county of Boone and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engines, of

i which the following is a specification.

Heretofore a valve-chest has had a cylindrical valve-chamber provided with two series IQ of ports located in circles extending around the end portion ofthe chamber to admit steam from the chest to press upon all sides of a valve, having concave ends and a concave annular groove in its center, fitted in the valve- 1 5 chamber.

My object is to simplify the construction, reduce the cost, and to equalize the pressure of steam upon a valve by admitting it to pass continuously and with equal volumeaud force from the ends of the valve by admitting the steam to pass continuously and with equal volume and force from the ends of the valvechambcr only, and from thence through the open ends of the valve to the steam-cylinder, as

2 5 hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top View showing my valvechamber and steam-cylinder combined. Fig.

2 is an enlarged side view of the valve-chamber detached from the cylinder. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the vertical center of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a central longitudinal and horizontal sectional view of the valve and 3 5 valve-chamber combined with a section of. the

steam-cylinder. Fig. 5 is a central l0ugitudinal. and vertical section of the same valve and valve-chamber. Fig. 6 is a side view, and

Fig. 7 an end view, of the tubular valve.

A represents a steam-cylinder of common form, provided with an integral seat, A, specially adapted to receive my cylindricalvalvechamber.

Nos. 1 and 2 "are inductioirports extending 5 from the face of the seat to the opposite ends of the cylinder. No. 3 is an exhaustport midway betweenthe ports 1 and 2..

B is the valve-chamber, consisting of a cylindrical ease and heads, and a stuffing-box corresponding in form with the steam-cylinder A, but smaller in size. It has a plain side face and flanges, through which top-bolts are passed to secure it to the seat A of the cylinder A. Ports Nos. 4, 5, and 6, coinciding with the ports Nos. 1, 2, and 3, extend inward from the plain face of the chamber, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

B is a branch extending at right angles from the center of the case, to be connected with a steam-generator by means of a tube in a common way. A steam passage-way, 13, extends in opposite directions from the branch, and terminates in induction-ports Nos. 7 and S, that communicate with the bore of the valvechamber to admit steam continuously at both ends of the chamber, as required, to keep the valve balanced within the chamber by equal pressure upon all parts of its inner and outer surfaces when in operation.

O is the tubular sliding-valve, fitted in the chamber B. It has an integral cross-bar d at one, end, to which a valve-stem, f, is secured, by .means of nuts, as shown, or in any suitable way. g g are metal packing-rings on. the en.- larged ends of the valve, that can be readily replaced when too much worn, and can be used without said rings, also.

H (shown in Fig. 4) represents a piston in the center of the cylinder A, while the port N o. 1 is closed and the port No. 2 open relative to the supply, and the valve 0 in position, as required, to allow live steam to pass from within the valve-chamber, and also from within the valve into and through the open port No. 2 to the one end of the cylinder A, to press the piston toward its opposite end to expel the exhaust-steam therefrom through the port No. 1 into the annular space at the central portion of the valve, and from thence through the coinciding exhaust-ports, 3 and 6. The valve-stem f, connected with a rotatingshaft by means of a crank in a common way, then imparts motion to the valve, as required, to reverse the motion of the piston, and as re quired to produce successive strokes and a continuous reciprocating motion.

The port No. 3 in the cylinder A may be dispensed with, and the exhaust-steam diseharged from the annular space that is maintained around the central part of the sliding- Valve through the port No. 6, and that port may be located at any portion of the eireum ferenee ol' the valve-eliainber desired.

It is obvious that steam admitted eontinu ously at the opposite ends of the VtIlYO-(lltllllher to till that ehamber, and also the bore of the'valve, will be at an equililn'ium at all times relative to the reeipmeating valve. and hence exert no force upon it in any direet'ion, and eonsequenttv no lateral pressure or i'rietion that will produee wear and eonsume power; but will retain the valve pert'eetly poised so that very little power willbe required to impart a reciprocating longitudinal movement thereto, and eonsequentl without mueh trietion or wear of the valve-gear employed to urinate the valve.

3 my eonstruet-ion great eeonomy in manutaetnre and J'aeility in eleaning are seeured. The eylinder and its passages being eonstruet ed together and praetieally in line. the exterior may be of the same diameter from end to end, thus material]; lessenine the eost. while ready aeeess to the interior being had by simpl removing the heads from the direetion of the passages, they may easily be eleaned from one end to the other; but the ehiet advantage resides in having the steamqmssages straight and extending to the heads, so that, when the cylinder is asmall one the passages maybe bored, while, when it is a large one and the passages are formed in eastine', the eore employed may easily be, removed.

I claim as my ilwention 1. The eombination, in a steanrengine, ot' the Yalve-ehamhmr provided with the removable heads, and with a steam-passage extend ing to the hezulsand terminating in the induetion-ports substantially as described.

2. An openeuded tubular and cylindrical valve, in eombi nation with a chamber provided with the removable heads, and with the steam-passages leading to said heads and ten minatin; in induetion-ports, and the exhaust port in the middle, and eduetiouorts on the opposite sides of the exhausbport. substantiall as deseribed.

RICHARD G. HARRIS.

\Vitnesses:

LORAN \V. 'R I; YNO] ,os. \VM. Fi'sunu. 

